Shoe polishing machine



"Nov. 28, 1939. J. WHEELER 7 v 5 I SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l 99 I as Nov. 28, 1939. J WHEELER 2,181,676

SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Nov. 28, 1939. J WHEELER 1 2,181,676

SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 awe/whom Nov. 28, 1939.

I I l 5! E a wuQ/WtO D Y 1 Q Jbse vh WYweZer. a 5 U 7 57 57 56 SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE POLISHING MACHINE Washington, D. 0.

Application August 19,

Claims.

This invention relates to a shoe polishing machine.

It aims to provide a novel structure driven by a suitable motor and having a polishing ele- 5 ment or elements adapted to travel in a path approximating the contour of an engaged portion of a shoe or shoes.

It is also an object to provide a portable structure and one having a novel polishing element and mounting therefor, the element being an endless band, interengaged at its edges with a mounting frame.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the cleaning element and taken on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line l-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the line 66 of Figure 3 Figure '7 is a detail plan View of the polishing element, being fragmentary, and looking from the inner surface;

Figure 8 is a detail section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 2;.

Figure 9 is a section similar to Figure 8 taken through a modified form;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section taken on the same plane of Figure 2 but through a modified form;

Figure 11 is a detail section takenon the line Hll of. Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a side elevation of a modified form of the machine;

Figure 13 is a detail section taken on the plane of line l3i3 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a plan View of the modified form; and

Figure 15 is a fragmentary end elevation of the modified form taken from the side opposite to that of Figure 12.

Referring specifically to the drawings and first to the form of the invention disclosed in Figures 1 to 11, the structure disclosed is portable and 1937, Serial No. 159,960

may be used as shown or mounted in any suitable way as in a casing or cabinet, connected to a floor or other support, and the like.

An electric motor or the equivalent is shown at it constructed or geared to operate a plurality 5 of shafts or spindles II. The central shaft is usually positively driven from the motor and it has a pinion I2 thereon and pinions l3 on the other shafts or spindles mesh with each other and with the pinion l2 whereby all are rotated. 10 The shafts are journaled in a bearing bar I4 suitably fastened to the frame of the motor. From this unit having the plurality of driven spindles or shafts H, one or more polishing devices such as at I5 are driven, one polishing device 15- being driven by each shaft or spindle I I, through the medium of a flexible shaft l6 having a clutch tube I601, at one end adapted to detachably slip over and frictionally or otherwise engage an adjacent shaft II.

The polishing element l5 has an arch shaped frame l5a as best shown in Figure 4. Such frame is-of skeleton form, being ,made for instance of metallic wire and the same is rigid. Traversing the frame, is an endless belt 11.

Said belt may be made of any flexible or suitable material, for instance leather, textile fabric or the like and along longitudinal edges is supplemented by laminations I 8 which are stitched in place at E9. or otherwise fastened. Such lamiv nations provide grooves 20 at the outer edges of the belt. Said grooves 20 receive rails or bars 2| and 22 of the frame l5a, which are of the shape of the path which belt ll follows or travels in. Since the belt I! is flexible, said grooves 20 and rails or bars 2| are readily interengaged. Thus mounted, the endless belt will travel in an endless path substantially following the margin of the frame Mia.

The belt may be of the cross section disclosed in Figure 8 but it is preferred to reinforce the laminations l8 in particular, and the adjacent portions of the belt proper by means of U-shaped metallic staples 24, arranged at suitable intervals, as disclosed in Figures 7 and 9. This construction stifiens the belt to avoid any tendency toward detachment of the belt from the rails or bars 2|. Reinforcing rods 23 may also be fastened across the inner surface of belt proper ll, if desired.

Any suitable form of polishing surface may be employed. To this end, a soft polishing element 25 may be used consisting for instance of an outer sheet 26 of textile fabric or of leather, with a filling 21 therebeneath, of leather, textile material or the like.

In lieu of the polishing element or surface 26, I may use a suitable brush construction as in Figures 10 and 11 where tufts of bristles 28 are carried by a flexible backing member 29, in turn fastened to the endless belt here designated 11.

Suitably fastened to the frame I5a is'an open handle 35 and adjacent each end of the frame, a shaft 3! is journaled in bearing portions 32 provided on the frame Such shafts 3| each have a pair of sprocket wheels 32 keyed thereto and the sprocket wheels are adapted to engage recesses or eyelets 33 provided in the inner surface of the belt proper [1. One of the shafts 3| is extended and a coupling 3 3 carried by the flexible shaft I 6 is detachably connected therewith.

As a result of the construction described, after blacking or other polishing material is applied to the shoe, the motor II) is operated under any conventional control, causing the flexible shaft l6 to be driven from one of the shafts or spindles ll, thereby rotating one of the shafts 3i and causing the sprockets 32 to move the belt I l in an endless path, following the general'shape of frame l5a. The shoe is placed within the frame or arch and the polishing element engages the blacking or polishing material and very effectively shines the same and completes the polishing of the shoe, the shoe being manipulated from time to time to place various portions thereof in contact with the moving polishing element.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 12 to 15. In this form, the tip of the shoe and the heel may simultaneously be p01- ished or a pair of shoes may simultaneously be polished, while the user is seated. This form of the invention uses four of the polishing elements 55', which are identical in construction with the polishing elements I 5. Two of such polishing elements are arranged vertically and two are arranged horizontally so that the shoes may simultaneously be engaged by a vertically arranged one and a horizontally arranged one. A motor i0 similar to that at H] is used and in this instance it may have rollers or casters 34a, arranged to engage the floor so that it may be more readily transported. A mounting frame is provided at 35, being attached to the casing of the motor Hi. This frame has sections 36 on opposite sides of the motor whichmount the vertically disposedcleaning elements l5 so that they may be adjusted toward and away from each other. To this end, arms 31 extend from the sections 36 and overlap each other, having various openings 38 therethrough adapted to aline at dilferent adjustments and to have bolts 39 detachably passed therethrough to secure them in different adjusted positions. The driving shafts for the vertically disposed cleaning elements I5 are here designated 3|. Said shafts are driven by flexible shafts 40 from elected shafts or spindles ll like those at II. The bearings for the shafts 49 are provided as at M mounted in bifurcations 42 of portions of sections 36 of frame 35. Couplings 43 connect the flexible shafts 49 and shafts Sl'.

The frame 35 has rigid upwardly deflected bars or arms A l connected to the frame I5a of the horizontal polishing devices I5 and they mount bearings 45 in combination with bifurcations 46 of connecting arms 41. In the bearings 45, shafts 3la are journaled which are driven by flexible shafts 68 from suitable spindles H. Shafts 3m correspond to similar shafts 3! of the first form of the invention and the shafts 3|. The frames of the horizontal polishing elements are connected by a bar or auxiliary framework 50 which is adapted to be pulled or urged toward a support by a contractile coil spring 5| connected at 52 to the auxiliary frame and at 53 to the support. A handle or the like 54 may have diverging portions 55 connected to the auxiliary frame 50, so as to draw the horizontal polishing devices against the tension of the spring 5| into intimate contact with the shoe or shoes being polished.

The frame 35 has uprights 51 joined by a crossbar 58 from which coil spr 59 depend and resiliently support and are connected to the supporting frame means for the vertical polishing devices l5. Such devices may be depressed against the tension of the springs,

through engagement with the handles 30' to better engage and polish the shoes.

It will be realized that with the motor l6 operating, the vertical and horizontal polishing devices l5 will be operated and that the polishing elements thereof will simultaneously polish the tips of shoes and the heels of shoes, the same being operable to effectively engage the shoes since they are adjustably and resiliently mounted under control of the springs 5! and 59. Major adjustments may be effected through the openings 38 and bolt 39 and similar openings fill and a bolt 6|, co-acting with overlapping sections forming the rod or frame part 50.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a frame of arch shape, an endless belt removably interengaged at opposite side edges with the frame and operable to follow its contour, said belt being relatively stiff to prevent accidental detachment, a polishing element carried by the belt, and means to drive the belt.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a frame, an endless belt removably interengaged with the frame and operable to follow its contour, said belt being relatively stiff to prevent accidental detachment, a polishing element carried by the belt, means to drive the belt, spaced bars on the frame, said belt having grooves engaging said bars and locating the belt between its contour, said belt being relatively stiff to prevent accidental detachment, a polishing element carried by the belt, means to drive the belt, spaced bars on the frame, said belt being laminated with the laminations so arranged as to provide grooves in the side edges of the belt, said grooves being arranged to engage said bars with the belt between the latter.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a frame, an endless belt removably interengaged with the frame and operable to follow its contour, said belt being relatively stiff to prevent accidental detachment, a polishing element carried by the belt, means to drive the belt, spaced bars on the frame, said belt being laminated with the laminations so arranged as to provide grooves in the side edges of the belt, said grooves being arranged to engage said bars ing elements for the laminations and adjacent portions of the band to reinforce the same against accidental detachment from the frame.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a frame, an endless belt removably interengaged with the frame and operable to follow its contour, said belt being relatively stifi to prevent accidental detachment, a polishing element carried by the belt, means to drive the belt, spaced bars on the frame, said belt being lamimated with the laminations so arranged as to provide grooves in the side edges of the belt, said grooves being arranged to engage said bars with the belt between the latter, and U-shap einforcing staples having their legs Within the laminations and their bights passing through the adjacent portions of the band to reinforce the same against accidental detachment from the frame.

JOSEPH WHEELER. 

